I think that BMW understands exactly why people with money spend $$$ on their ///M cars. The M5/M6 engine is a good example. Perfectly symmetrical, and looks somewhat hand built. Since BMW always tries to make the next M3 faster/better than the previous, performance is a given. What they chose to ignore (based on these early photo's) was the hand built eye candy look of the engine bay.

They seem to have gone the way of the Subaru WRX engine bay look (not entirely a mortal sin). The Mitsu turbo's were a bit of a shock as well...

-gh

Tr looking at the finished product in the link provided not a 2 year old engineering pic. Factory carbon fiber strut tower brace is lacking eye candy?

I think that BMW understands exactly why people with money spend $$$ on their ///M cars. The M5/M6 engine is a good example. Perfectly symmetrical, and looks somewhat hand built. Since BMW always tries to make the next M3 faster/better than the previous, performance is a given. What they chose to ignore (based on these early photo's) was the hand built eye candy look of the engine bay.

They seem to have gone the way of the Subaru WRX engine bay look (not entirely a mortal sin). The Mitsu turbo's were a bit of a shock as well...

You have to be kidding me on the way this engine compartment looks. It's terrible. I absolutely hate the very visible tack welds on the black J like structures in the front sides. Just lazy to show those. It's in all the 3 and 4 series. YUK. This engine looks like (as someone else said) a bunch of parts thrown together.

I hope to heck that this isn't the real engine. It may go like stink, but it looks like a bunch of bolt-ons, not a billet one piece that previous ///M's all have.